The Windhover

Here is a beautiful poem from Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ. The images presented are powerful and majestic, as a tribute to Christ, the King. For indeed, Jesus is King - great in His love and powerful to resist the temptations of the devil. Mighty is our God who lived among us and saved us all from death.

I caught this morning morning's minion,
kingdom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon,
in his riding of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend; the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart is hiding
Stirred for a bird, - the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour are act, oh, air, pride, plume here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.

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